


What's in a Name?

by Flutterbat



Series: Destiny By Blood [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universes, Beginnings, Different Universes, F/M, Fake Names, Fluff, Marriage, Short Story, history lesson, quick fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-05-04 14:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14594694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flutterbat/pseuds/Flutterbat
Summary: How Shinonome and Siegbert got their names in two very different worlds.





	1. He of the Light

**I. Before Conquest**

Stealth was not normally her style, she usually left such missions to Beruka. But Father had ordered her to go, and nothing she said could make him change her mind.

So here she was in Cheve, disguised as a newly fledged wyvern knight -Chamika- infiltrating the resistance and feeding intelligence back to Windmire as part of a more elaborate scheme to crush this latest rebellion. She would have much preferred to just ride in on Marzia and smash them all to tiny bits… but apparently this not-so-little band of wyvern knights were rather skilled and organised, so that plan would not work.

“…So that’s the end of the tour,” said the short haired blonde woman as they stopped out side the weapons room. She had identified herself as Scarlet and appeared to be leader of the band. “Grab yourself a weapon and be ready for training at first light tomorrow! Have you got any questions?”

“I’m sure I’ll think of some,” she had replied airily. “Actually… why are you showing me around Dame Scarlet, I would have thought you too busy, being our leader and all…?”

Scarlet replied with a spirited “Hah!”. “You’d think that, huh? But we’re all equals here and there’s nothing like a tour to get to know a new recruit. We’ve had a few lately, you should meet ‘em after we're done.”

That had piqued her interest. “Oh? Sounds positively certainly, like the rebellion is attracting all sorts,” she said, trying her hardest to keep the overly enquiring tone out of her voice. Stealth was hard.

Luckily Scarlet didn't seem to notice. “Yeah, actually - we even got a few Hoshidans in. Pretty neat, right? We’re gaining so much traction, soon Windmire will have no choice but to grant us autonomy.”

 _Hmm, I doubt that_. She didn’t know how Beruka managed to keep a straight face when such juicy information came up for grabs.

 

***

The next morning, she came to the sparring grounds as early as she could. Her plan was to watch everyone as they arrived, to get an idea of who exactly made up this merry band of traitors, and work on them accordingly. But she was surprised to find that Scarlet was already there, laughing and joking with a man she had not seen before.

Camilla would have preferred to hang back and watch them some more, but Scarlet spotted her and waved her over. “Oh, hey, Chamika, get over here!” she called.

Camilla wondered over idly trying not toe feel annoyed. “I should introduce you guys, since you’re both relatively new.” Scarlet was far too cheerful for this time in the morning. The she added, “Chances are you’ll be working together at some point in the near future.”

Camilla looked over the man Scarlet had been talking too - he was tall, muscular and had very distinctly Hoshidan features. He also sported some very long, bushy brown hair that was tied back in to a messy ponytail, and if she were honest with herself… he wasn’t completely unpleasant to look at.

He nodded politely at her. “It is an honour to meet you Chamika, I look forward to working with you” he said in a very deep, rich voice. _Oddly formal, these Hoshidans_. He extended his hand in greeting to her. “My name is Shinonome.”

 

***

**II. After Revelation**

Marriage meant children. That is what she had been taught and a young Nohrian lady, and was reminded of by the Hoshidan etiquette coaches who had come to her before her wedding day. It had always come across as a warning, but Camilla didn’t mind. She wanted children and she wanted a lot of them and when she had told this to her royal husband, he had chuckled and said he would be happy to indulge.

After the war with Anankos was over, she had married Ryoma in a late autumn ceremony, and when he was not attending his kingly duties, the start of their married life together had been decadent. Her stomach was now heavily swollen as proof that, and as the height of summer approached, they still had much to prepare for the arrival of their precious little one - including a name.

They had gone for a walk through Shirasagi’s cherry blossom gardens, Ryoma’s pet dogs bounding around them and the today’s topic of conversation was the issue of the name. According to tradition, Ryoma had explained, it was the father’s duty to decide as the mother would already be stressed after the birth; Camilla had scoffed at that traditional reasoning and called him adorable but misguided.

Ryoma had looked disgruntled but she had explained him if she was going to raise the child, she needed to like the name as well. He had sighed and mumbled about that being sound logic and then, with an arm around her, had spent the last 20 minutes explaining various popular Hoshidan noble names (mostly for boys) and why they were in vogue.

The last one he mentioned was his personal favourite; Shinonome, the Unifier of Hoshido and Daybreak King -the first wielder of Raijinto in fact- and a name that had graced many of his ancestors. Camilla had to admit to herself that she liked it too, but when she turned the name over on her tongue, she found herself struggling.

“Darling,” she said, placing one of her hands on her stomach and giving it a small rub. “That is a lovely name, no doubt, but I can barely say it. What kind of mother would I be if I can’t call our child home?”

Ryoma had laughed and kissed the side of her head. “My Lady,” he said tenderly. “You will be a wonderful mother. Besides, you can reserve the full name for when our child causes trouble. Most children who are named Shinonome have it shortened to Shiro on the day to day.” He paused, then added. “Actually, I knew several Shiros when I was growing up.”

“Shiro…” said Camilla quietly to herself, stroking her bump again. It was a good name if the child turned out to be a boy. The baby kicked.


	2. He of the Dark; The Picture in a Frame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two short(ish) tales on how Siegbert got his name in two very different worlds.

**1\. Before Birthright**

Hinoka hadn’t meant to fall in love with Xander. By all accounts, she should have slit this throat when they crossed paths for the first time. He should have slit hers. But here they were now, months later, tangled up in his bed after another very enjoyable night together.

He generally slept deeply, where as she was always a lighter sleeper, and would stir at the faintest of sunbeams as they slipped through the window panes. And she would just watch him, his chest rising and falling, his features at complete rest. He was undeniably handsome, even more so when he didn’t frown.

This morning she felt restless and she turned over. Xander made a noise but didn’t seem to wake - but his arm did snake it’s way over her waist and pulled her closer. She enjoyed his subconscious show of affection, and found herself snuggling closer to him, as she lazily took in her surroundings, as they revealed themselves in the dull light as it filtered through the thick curtains that adorned his windows.

Despite what she had been told otherwise about Nohrians and their decadence, her lover wasn’t vain. His room seemed to contain the bare minimium: a few writing implements, a weapon stand, some books… and that. It was small, and in a fairly plain frame, barely noticeable really but now that she thought about it, it was as much a feature as his sword and armour when they stole themselves away in his private quarters. The image was a small portrait, maybe a copy of a larger picture: a young, blonde cavalier, his horse rearing as he grasped the reins in one had, and the Nohrian divine weapon in another.

“A penny for your thoughts, my lady.” A deep, but sleepy voice interrupted her thoughts.

“I’m sorry if I woke you up,” she said quietly.

“I’ve been dozing for a while… something on your mind?”

_Plenty of things_.

“I was just wondering about that man in the picture frame. I noticed… you always seem to have his image your quarters.”

Xander fell quiet for a moment, and she heard the smile in his voice. “ You will think me sentimental… but that is a picture I copied when I was younger of Siegbert the First, an early King of Nohr. You could say… he is a personal hero of mine.”

Hinoka smiled. “You’ll have to tell me about him sometime.”

“Yes,” said Xander “But perhaps later”. At that point he shifted and began to caress her stomach with his finger tips that sent a shiver to pleasure through her. Hinoka hummed happily. She’d ask him more after they’d had some morning fun.

****

**2\. After Revelation**

The pregnancy had not always been easy for Hinoka. _“Those ankles will not become less swollen by themselves, Your Grace”_ , said the healer, and the words rang in her ears the more her belly grew. _“It is important you get some rest.”_

As someone who had always been active, she found the instruction difficult and increasingly found herself restless. Xander had been very sweet and supportive, and although it was difficult to get him to admit it, he was worrying about her. By way of trying to get her to rest (and to probably try and stop her wondering around the castle), he had gifted her with a large book, full of the genealogies of the Nohrian Royal family. She was confused to receive it, and told him so, and he’d simply told her “For inspiration. For the the baby’s name.”

She’d been flattered as his meaning became clear. _He_ was letting _her_ choose the name - she’d been shocked, such a thing was unheard of in Hoshido- but she had also been so touched at his gesture that she’d uncharacteristically wept. Xander had looked even more concerned when he comforted her but she had assured him she was okay. And so she started to thumb through the not-small tome. The book was thick and there were many names and history associated with Nohrian royalty, and she found it overwhelming. One morning at breakfast she had despaired to her husband - “I just can’t find anything!”

Xander had hummed before getting up and walking up to where Hinoka was sitting, and offered her his arm. “I think I know something that might help.” Intrigued (and excited) Hinoka took her husband’s arm, as he guided her to a part of the castle she was surprised she had not been shown before.

The room he had taken her to was long, with a high ceiling with grandiose decor. On onside there was a large door, carved from a dark wood, adorned with the the Nohrian royal symbol, and each wall was covered in portraits.

Hinoka couldn’t help but feel awe-struck. “What is this place?”

“The Hall of Kings.”

“Why haven’t you shown me this before? It’s pretty… grand.”

The edges of Xander’s lips curved into a small smile. “A surprise,” was all he said. “I… know the book can be rather intimidating so I thought that perhaps putting a face to the name might help.” His smile became wider when Hinoka stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek; taking her response as a positive, he put a protective arm around her and proceeded to guide Hinoka around the room, pointing out the various monarchs and tales behind each image.

As they went on their tour, it was apparent to Hinoka that there had been some very colourful characters in Nohr’s past. Such as the woman whose portrait they had now stopped in front of: “Queen Frances. She preferred to wield Brynhildr and was by all accounts a talented mage but history tends to remember her for her multiple marriages… she had, at one point, six husbands. Only two them outlived her.”

Hinoka was curious. “Old age?”

“No,” said Xander casually. “She had four executed for various reasons… impotence, perceived affairs, lack of progeny… that sort of thing.”

His wife paled.

Xander didn’t notice or didn’t seem to as he continued with a note of pride in his voice; “Queen Frances was instrumental in the formation of the Dark Knight Corps. She was quite the strategist, if not a little hard to please.”

Hinoka didn’t say anything but she nodded politely.

And so their tour continued. Xander pointed at portrait after portrait, each one with a tale seeming more gruesome than the last. Highlights, if they could be called that, were King Arnulf, who was rumoured to have locked his half-brothers away in a tower and left them to starve (but was crucial in forming a trade pact with Notre Sagasse that prevented a famine); King Otto who was a man of great faith and was said to be the father of Nohrian morality (but he also burnt unbelievers alive in large ceremonial bonfires in Windmire’s main square); Queen Matilda who ruled in regent long after her son became of age and following his ascension used him as a puppet to control Nohrian court (but was a great supporter of female education in Nohr). The list went on, and every monarch seemed to have something that was attached to their history that made Hinoka uncomfortable.

“Is there anyone here,” she said motioning at the walls of portraits, “That wasn’t… that didn’t… y’know…” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find a suitable word. Her husband was a proud Nohrian, and she didn’t want to offend him… or any spirits of any ancestors that might be lurking around in what was clearly a place that meant a lot to him.

Xander’s smile became a little smaller and his gaze dropped, as if he understood her meaning before he turned her to a portrait that was directly behind her. The portrait showed a man on a dappled grey horse, rearing on it’s hind legs, and in his hand the man wielded the unmistakable blade of Siegfried. “Who’s that?” she asked.

“That,” said Xander, “Is Siegbert I, the Conciliator”

Hinoka raised an eyebrow. Nohr was a military nation and from what she had heard, it’s story was written in the blood of others. She found it hard to believe the man portrayed in front of her was supposed to be a mediator.

Xander continued to speak. “Siegbert I was not supposed to ascend the throne. He was a fourth son, and ninth child - there were many ahead of him for succession.”

Curious, Hinoka couldn’t help but ask, “How did he end up as king?”

“His oldest brother, and initial heir apparent was killed in single combat against a champion of the Ice Tribe. Following his death, his oldest sister was installed as heir, but she died in childbed, along with her baby. After that, the second princess was marked as heir and she consolidated her position by sending the second and third princes to the northern borders to deal with a rebellion that only their heads came back from.”

Hinoka must have looked shocked, because Xander added quietly; “They had barely been knighted, they should never had been sent, but…” his voice trailed off and she wondered if there was something more to his story. She wanted to ask but before she could, he continued. “Siegbert’s father had 3 more daughters after the death of his older sons. One of them abdicated her position to live with the common folk, another was sent to become a priestess in Izumo and the third died of a sickness… that some claim also caused the death of the second princess.”

“Wow,” said Hinoka. She turned to look at her husband, whose gaze was fixed upon Siegbert’s image. “So they called it a sickness, huh?”

“The deaths of the second and third princes did not sit well with the Court,” said Xander. “There was no doubt that the Fifth Princess was claimed by illness, but it would not surprise me if the second princess’s sickness was caused by poison. So, in the end, Siegbert was all that was left of the line and the Court did not expect much from him. He was the King’s youngest son - small, nervous, easily affected by illness. By all accounts awkward on the training grounds… they thought he would be dead before his tenth year. But Siegbert survived, and he grew stronger.”

“The King was getting old, and his illnesses more frequent. And as Siegbert matured, many courtiers made moves to position themselves into power. They thought that once the King was out of the way, Siegbert would be easy to puppet.” A small smile played on to Xander’s lips. “They were wrong.”

“The first thing he did was clean out the court. His second sister’s old supporters soon found themselves without position or a head depending on their b, and he moved to install those most qualified to the positions he needed. A merchant for trade policy, for example, and a wyvern knight for military concerns, a scholar for politics. He re-established an open dialogue with the Ice Tribe and he negotiated trade routes with Mokushu, Notre Sagasse and Cyrkensia.” Xander paused, “Through his diplomacy and policy, Cheve voluntarily became a Nohrian tributary which lead to a long period of prosperity for them, the surrounding districts and Windmire.”

That shocked Hinoka. Ryoma had been involved with a Chevois woman, Scarlet, however briefly, before his marriage to Camilla. She hadn’t spoken to her much before she had passed but the way Ryoma had explained her grievances and Nohr’s relationship with Cheve, made it sound like they had been conquered and repressed.

“He sounds like quite an inspiration,” she said eventually.

“Yes,” said Xander. He paused. “I always enjoyed listening to stories about Siegbert when I was little.” Another pause. “My mother always told a good story about him.”

A period of quiet fell between them as they mulled over their thoughts regarding this particular long-dead monarch.

It was Hinoka that broke the silence. “You said he was Siegbert the First right? How many Siegberts have their been?” she asked, she couldn’t help but be curious about him.

“Six,” replied her husband. “He proved to be a popular namesake.”

Hinoka turned the name over in her head. If their child was a boy, he would be the seventh Siegbert, and in Hoshido… seven was considered a very lucky number plus the name shortened nicely. She looked at her husband and smiled playfully at him. “It’d be a good name for the baby,” she said slowly and hopefully, putting a hand over her stomach. The child growing inside her shifted as in agreement, but she couldn’t help but notice her husband looked pensive. “You don’t like it?”

“Well,” said Xander, “It’s not that.” He paused and looked like he might give a reason but Hinoka pressed on.

“…We could call him Bertie if you don’t fancy referring to him as Siegbert all the time. And…” she trailed off for dramatic effect but couldn’t hide the laughter in her voice. “You did say _I_ could pick the name.”

Xander chuckled. “Alright.” Then he kissed her on the forehead. He placed his other hand on Hinoka’s ever growing stomach. “I can’t wait to meet you, Bertie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xander gets ragged on a lot for Siegbert's name, but I'm playing with a little head-canon of mine that his name was actually picked out by his mama. Some of the past Nohr Kings and Queens have RL inspirations, it was fun to look them up, and I did sadly have to cut a few for length.
> 
> Huge, huge thanks to Dameceles for her help and advice; without her this would have probably taken another year to write.
> 
> Hope readers enjoy this chapter - have had a bit of writers block lately so this was much harder than I thought it would be. As always thank you for reading this far; any and all feedback is loved and appreciated .

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in an evening, I hope it doesn't show D: 
> 
> My personal feeling is that it would be sort of dumb for Ryo to walk into the Cheve and use his real name, so here he has an alias that won't totally blow his cover straight off the bat.
> 
> Originally some of this was going to appear in Thorn in Your Fate but it didn't quite flow with the rest of the chapter, and some bits will be important. So it gets it's own dedicated story, I hope if you read this far you enjoyed it. There will be a chapter about Siegbert's name too, for the curious.


End file.
